By Abbas Nazil
The National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) has called on Nigerian youths to take leading roles in advancing the implementation of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), emphasizing that their participation is crucial to achieving Nigeria’s climate goals and building a sustainable future.
The Director-General of the NCCC, Tenioye Majekodunmi, made the appeal during the inaugural Nigeria Youth Climate Summit held in Abuja.
The summit was organised by the council in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and ActionAid, with support from the German development agency GIZ.
The event was designed to strengthen youth engagement in the implementation of Nigeria’s NDC 3.0 and encourage young people to contribute actively to climate solutions.
Speaking at the summit, Majekodunmi urged Nigerian youths to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship, and advocacy as tools for addressing climate-related challenges while supporting the country’s transition to a green economy.
She noted that climate action extends beyond environmental protection and presents opportunities for economic growth, job creation, technological innovation, improved energy security, and the development of resilient communities.
According to her, young people possess the creativity, energy, and leadership required to drive climate initiatives at various levels of society.
She therefore encouraged greater youth involvement in climate-related activities within schools, communities, businesses, and other sectors of the economy.
Majekodunmi stressed that the successful implementation of Nigeria’s climate commitments depends significantly on the active participation and leadership of young people.
In a statement issued after the summit, the NCCC highlighted the importance of youth contributions in shaping the country’s climate future and advancing national climate objectives.
The council stated that empowering young people to participate in policy discussions and climate initiatives would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond effectively to environmental challenges.
The summit attracted a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, development partners, climate advocates, and youth representatives from different parts of the country.
Several prominent figures delivered goodwill messages during the event.
Among them were UNICEF Nigeria Deputy Representative for Programmes, Rownak Khan, Chairman of the House Committee on Climate Change and Ecology, Kama Nkemkanma, and Somkele Awa-Kalu of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who was represented by Leah Tolulope, also addressed participants.
ActionAid representative, Suwaiba Dankabo, joined other speakers in encouraging young Nigerians to become active contributors to climate solutions and sustainable development efforts.
A major highlight of the summit was the launch of the Junior Climate Heroes Awards, an initiative aimed at recognising and encouraging outstanding climate action among young people.
The award programme is expected to inspire greater participation in environmental sustainability and climate advocacy across the country.
Nigeria’s NDC 3.0 forms part of the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by 195 parties during the COP21 climate conference in 2015.
The framework outlines Nigeria’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen adaptation measures, and enhance resilience to climate change impacts.
Youth participation has been identified as a key pillar in achieving these objectives, with stakeholders at the summit reaffirming the importance of empowering the next generation to take ownership of climate action and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future for Nigeria.
